Engine starter drive



oct. 22, 1940. Y B. W. JONE@ 2,218,754

A ENGINE STARTER DRIVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. l, 1933 @122,1940.- BWJONES 2,218,754'

ENGINE STARTER DRIVE Fild F'eb. l, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet f2 Patented Oct. 22, 1940 'UNITED s'rA'rEs PATE-Nr ori-*ics I asians l l s ENGINE Snaren um',

vBurr Jones, Elmira, N. Y.,

assignments, to South Bend, Ind.,

assignor, by mesne Aviation Corporation,

a corporation of Delaware Application February 1, 1938, Serial No. 188,1()5,v

l which the deformable material is in the form of stripsl stacked, rolled or folded into umts which are readily interchangeable and replaceable for service purposes and to vary the characteristics of the drive. 1

It is a further object to provide such a device in'vlhich the transmission of forces through the dformable material is from edge to edge of said s rips.

It is another object to provide such a device in.

cordance with the load transmitted. It is a further object to provide such a device in which the units are arranged to transmit both pressure and torque.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: Y

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in vsection of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. l.;

Fig. 4 is a detail partly in longitudinal section showing a modied form of the yielding driving connection;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a further modication thereof;

Fig. 6 is a detail .in perspective of an elastlcally deformable unit; s

Fig. '7 is aview similar to Fig. 1 other embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 8 is an end view. thereof;

mowing` an- 'Fig. 9 is a section taken substantially on the line ii--e ofFig.'7; -A

. Fig. l0 is a detail in perspective showing an elastically deformable unit as used in Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a similar view of -a modied' forni of elasticl unit; and

" FigslZ is a perspective detail of certain of the elements of the coupling illustrated in Fig. '7, shown in disassembled relation.

In Fig. 1' of the drawings, there is illustrated a power shaft l which may be the extended armature shaft of -the starting motor, not shown, on

which the units are subjected to pressure in ac-I indicated at 25.

which is slidablyand rotatably mounted an engine driving member in the form of a pinion 2 movable thereon into and out of engagement with a member such as a ring gear 3 of an engine tobe started. f 1 i Means for actuating the'pinion 2 from the power shaft l is provided including a hollow shaft 4 rigidly connected to the power shaft l-as by means of a' pin 5, having a screw shaft 6 loosely mounted thereon and retained by means of astop 10 nut 1. ,Rotation of the screw shaft 6 is caused to actuate the pinion 2 by means of a nut 8 nor-'fmally maintained on a smooth portion 9 of the screw. shaft by means of an anti-drift spring il but caused to engage the threads of the screw i6 shaft by a reentry spring l2.' The nut 8 is connected to the pinion 2 by means of a barrel member I3 whereby longitudinal movement of the nut 8 on the screw shaft causes the pinion 2 to mesh with the ring gear 3 untilthe nut 8 engages the 20 stop nut l, after which rotation of thel nut 8 is transmitted tothe pinion to rotate the ring. gear, 3.

' According to the present invention, a yielding driving connection is provided between the hol- 25 low. shaft 4 and screw shaft E embodying a novellform of elastically deformable` units. As here illustrated, the hollow shaft 4 is provided with a driving head I4 on winch is non-rotatably mounted a driving ange i5 as by means of co 30 operating double-D sections I8. A driven ange l1 is similarly mounted on'a double-D section I8 on the end of the screw shaft 8 in abutting relationwwitha ange i9 thereon.

Annular units 2i formed by rolling up strips of 35 elastically deformable material such as sheet rubber are interposed between the driving and driven franges is, n with their edges in-frictional engagement therewith and maintained under initial compression by the stop'nut 1.

The elastic umts 2i are preferably rolled under some initial pressure, and are confined on a core member 22 by suitable means such as a peripheral band 23.' The units 2| are preferablyy enclosed by a cylindrical casing member 24 attached 4kin any suitable manner to the drivenfnange I1 as In. the operation of lthis embodiment. of the in;

ventina, rotation of the power shaft l is tra/.ns-

mitted through the driving head I4 ofthe hollow shaft 4- to the driving ange i5, which rotation is frictipnally transmitted through the .elastic units 2| to the driven flange I1 whereby the screw shaftv B is rotated to advance the pinion 2 into mesh with the engine gear 3. When the nut I. 66'

' drive secured by means of the units 2|r is a result bothoi' the compression of said units and the distortion thereof due to the torque frictionally transmitted from one edge to the other thereof. The compression of the umts is limited by the free space within the casing member 24, and may be varied in order to secure any desired mode of operation of the device.

Thus, in Fig. 4 there is illustrated a means for increasing the compressive elasticity of the coupling by the interposition of spring discs 28 between the elastic -units 2|, yieldably spacing `said units and maintaining the inner convolutions thereof under initial compression whileV permitting additional compression of the coupling during the building up of the torque therein.

In Fig. 5 a somewhat similar result is securedv I by the interposition of spacing rings 21 and.28

- to the driven member between the elastic units 2| andthe driving and .driven discs I5 and I1 respectively, and a spacing ring 29 between the units 2|. As here illustrated, the spacing rings 21 and 28 bear on the hollow shaft 4 but do not extend to the inner periphery of the casing member 24, while the central spac- -ing-ring 29 i'lts slidably in the casing member 24 but is of larger internal diameter than the-hollow shaft 4. 'This arrangement. provides additional space for the elastic units 2| when they are subjected to compression, whereby the elasticity of the coupling is increased.

' l'I'he remaining parts illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 are the same as shown in Fig. 1, and the operation ofthe devic'e is the same except for the additional elasticity of the coupling provided by the features incorporated for that purpose.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7 to 12, a yielding driving connection is incorporated which employs elastic units formed of strips of rubber or the like which are stacked or folded into rectangular form and are utilized to cushion the transmission of torque by endwise compression. As there illustrated, the hollow shaft 48 is provided with a driving head 4| .of double-D section on which is non-rotatably mounted a driving member 42 having radial arms l 48 and retained on the driving head by means of a split ring 44. A driven iiange member 45 is non-rotatably mounted on the double-D" section I8 of the screw shaft 8, and a transmission member 48 in the form of a barrel having inwardly extending longitudinal ribs 41 is rigidly connected l as by means of inturned flanges 48 on the barrel engaging the periphery of the driven member 45 and cooperating with radially extending -lugs 48 on the driven member.'

Elastically deformable units 5| are located in the spaces between the ribs 41 ot barrel 48, loosely tting said spaces and abutting against the driven .iiange member 45 at one end and the driving member 42 at the other end, which driving member is maintained in the end of the barrel 45 with its radial arms 43 in the spaces between the ribs 41, andin abutting relation with the umts 5|. As shown in Figs. '7 and 10, these elastic'units are parts to be returned to their l formed of strips of material such as sheet rubber which are stacked and unied by suitable means such as metallic bands 52. 'I'hese units may also be formed by folding a strip of such material as illustrated in Fig. 11.

The units 5| are confined in the 1 barrel by means of a pair of telescopingbushing members 53 and 54 non-rotatably mounted on the driving head 4| and on the double-D section I8 of the screw shaft 8 respectively, and maintained thereon by suitable means such as locking rings 55 and 56 respectively.

In the operation of this embodiment of the invention, rotation of the power shai't l is transmitted through the driving head 4| to the driving member 42 which causes rotation of the barrel member 48 by reason of the engagement of the radialarms .48 between the ribs 41 thereof. This rotation is transmitted through lugs 49 to the driven member 45, thus causing rotation of the screw shaft 8 which causes meshing of the pinion 2 in the manner previously described. When the nut 8 strikes the stop nut 1, further rotation of the screw shaft causes longitudinal movement thereof to the left in Fig. 7, which longitudinal movement is'yieldingly resisted by the elastic units 5| whereby the transmission of torque through' the coupling is cushioned and rendered elastic.

Although certain embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that other embodiments are possible and various changes maybe made in the design and arrangements of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined,

in the claims appended hereto,-

What is claimed is:

l. `In an engine' starter drive, a power member, an engine driving member movable into and out of engagement with a member of the engine to be lstarted. and a yielding driving connection therebetween including a laminated unit of elastically deformable sheet material having a high coefilcient of friction, means for placing the unit under initial compression, driving and driven means i'rictionally engaging 'the edges of said material, torque-responsive means for compressing said unit edgewise of the laminations between the driving and driven members to cause progressive engagement of said edges until a i'ull surface ocon'- tact of the unit with the driving and driven members is secured, and means for confining said unit to limit its lateral deiiection under load.

, 2. In an' engine starter drive, a power shaft, an engine driving member movable thereon into and out of engagement with a member of the engine to be started, and a yielding driving connection therebetween including a unit built up of layers of elastically deformable strip material, the edges of said layers fri ctionally engaging the driving and driven elements and constituting the sole driving connection therebetween, end means responsive tothe torque transmitted therethrough for compressing saidl unit edgewise of the layers between the driving and driven elements to progressively build up surface contact between the unit andthe driving and driven elements. z

3. In an engine starter drive, a power shaft, an engine driving member movable thereon into and out of engagement with a member of the enne to be started, and a yielding driving connection therebetween including a driving element and a unit formed as a roll of elsstically deformable strip material interposed between the driving and driving element and a driven elements, said roll having fiat sides in frictional engagement therewith and constituting the sole driving connection therebetween, yielding means for progressively building up the surface 5 engagement of the roll, torque-responsive means for compressing the roll edgewise of its convolutions between the driving and driven elements, and means for limiting the radial expansion of the unit.

10 4. In an engine starter drive, a power shaft, a.

pinion movable thereon into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, and a driving connection between the shaft and pinion including a driving element, a driven element slidably but non-rotatably .connected thereto, aplurality of laminated blocks built up of elastically deformable strip material interposed between said driving and driven elements, means responsive to the load transmitted therethrough for compressing the blocks edgewise of said strips between the driving and driven elements and yielding discs cooperating with theedges of the blocks to progressively build up a compressive and 10 torque-transmitting connection therethrough.

BURR W. JONES. 

